Verber Salazar tops Hickey

STOCKTON - San Joaquin County is en route to having its first female district attorney in local prosecutor Tori Verber Salazar, the frontrunner by a significant margin late Tuesday against troubled opponent Gary Hickey.

STOCKTON - San Joaquin County is en route to having its first female district attorney in local prosecutor Tori Verber Salazar, the frontrunner by a significant margin late Tuesday against troubled opponent Gary Hickey.

With 93 precincts out of 501 reporting, Verber Salazar had gained 76.8 percent of votes over Hickey, her only challenger. Hickey had 22.93 percent.

Verber Salazar wasn't ready to declare a victory.

"We're cautiously optimistic about it," she said. "We're grateful for the voter turnout and their support. If we prevail, I'll be very excited and very honored."

Verber Salazar, a gang homicide prosecutor, looks forward to becoming the first woman to lead the District Attorney's Office, effective January 2015.

"What matters is who is the best qualified to do this job," she said. "I always knew it was an honor to be able to do it."

The Record could not reach Hickey, a Lodi defense attorney, for comment. In calls made to his mobile phone over two days, an automated outgoing message said the user was not accepting calls.

On Monday, Hickey did, however, post what appeared to be a homemade campaign video on Youtube, in which he criticized Verber Salazar and her deceased father, and boasted about his own college education.

Hickey's candidacy has been overshadowed by alleged criminal behavior, including a hit-and-run resulting in property damage in a 2013 crash. He faces possible charges on four different, recent cases: allegations of a DUI, a later public intoxication and two physical altercations.

In some ways Tuesday was a new experience for first-time runner Verber Salazar, but in other ways the anxiety, excitement and reflection time leading up to the conclusion was familiar territory.

"In a sense it's very much like getting a verdict," Verber Salazar said hours before the polls closed. "You just never know whether they're going to come back with a verdict of guilty or not guilty."

The winner will replace retiring District Attorney James Willett, who has held the seat since 2005.

Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez-Moore at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com. Follow her at recordnet.com/courtsblog and on Twitter @therecordcourts.